Door-hanger.



No. 707,853. Patenfw Aug. 2s, |902. w. LounEN.

DUUR HANGER.

lApplication led Jan. 13, 1902.)

Wl'lufff Ct'l' (No Model.)

l ING i W IIN" if; 'il I MW w l" @IV if I" ,im l y I if vif @Ninn -STATES Prfrnnrr OFFICE.

VILLIAM LOUDEN, OF FAIRFIELD, IOWA.

DOOR-'HANG ER.

SPECIFICATION form-ing part of Letters Patent No. 707,853, dated August 26, 1902. Application filed January 13,1902.k Serial No. 89,588. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom z'ff; may concern.'

Beit known that I,WILLIAM LOU DEN a citizen of the United States, residing at Fairfield, in the county of Jefferson and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Door-Hangers, of which the following is a specification. Y

My invention relates to door-hangers having a frame carrying a rotary wheel to run on an overhead track, said frame being adapted to be pivotally connected to a door; and it consists, first, in an adjustment of parts whereby the door will tend to move laterallyv toward the wall to which it is applied, thus insuring a close fit, while at the same time itwill be free to be moved awa-y from the wall` to pass obstructions thereon.

It consists, further, of improvements in the details of construction which are hereinafter set forth, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure I is -3 is a vertical section of the door and hanger as applied to the wall. Fig. i is the same, showing the door pushed laterally away from the wall. Fig. 5 is a perspective of an improved form of the lower frame. Fig. 6 is a perspective of one of theV brackets which secures the track to the wall. Fig. 7 is a detail view.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the track-rail, and B the brackets which secure it to the wall W'. The hangers which support the doorD are composed of two sections C and E, having jointed connections F. The upper part of the hanger-frame C has a grooved track-wheel G, which is mounted between cheek-pieces I and J in the usual manner, the cheek-piece I being made integral with the frame C and the cheek-piece J being riveted at its ends'to the cheek-piece I. In the lower corners of the frame O are rectangular-shaped loops I-I. The lower part of the section E is made U- shaped or V- shaped, as desired. Its upper ends are recurved or formed with hooks which are adapted to pass through the loops II and catch on the pivots F and swing therethe vertical.

on. As shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 1i, these recurved ends are extended downwardly and laterally, so as to embrace the upper end of the door D, and are perforated to receive bolts K. Another perforation is made in the lower end of the part E to receive the bolt M.

One of the essential features is the location of the pivot F, and another is the arrangement of the wheel-carriage C so that it and the wheel G will be free to oscillate to a considerable extent onthe track-rail A or to assume an angular position relatively to `As heretofore constructed this pivot or hinge has been placed either immediately below the vertical center of the Wheel G and track-rail A or a considerable distance to oneside, with the wheel held in a practically rigid vertical position. When the hinge is located immediately below the central line of the wheel and track-rail, the door is disposed to hang tremulously, and the frame E is easily vibrated by the wind blowing against the door, and it will not be held steadily in contact with the wall. Also the upper edge of the wheel G while in its normal vertical position will be only'a short distance from the upper end Vof the bracket B and the wall W, to which it is attached. Therefore when the door is pushed away from the Wall by the warping of the timbers or otherwise its lateral movement will be limited by the upper edge of the wheel coming in contact with the wall or bracket. On the other hand, when the hinge is placed a considerable distance to the outsidel of the wheel G the wheel-carriage C,

if left free to oscillate, will be thrown so far out of vertical alinement that special rollers or guides will be required to keep it in operable position, and these rollers or guides will greatlylessemif they do not entirely prevent, the necessary lateral movement of the door. In order to overcome these defects and give the door the largest amount of lateral movement when required and-at the same time holdit with sufficient contact against the wall to insure its closely fitting the wall, I have located my hinge or `joint out of. alinement with the point of support of the wheel upon the track and preferably on a direct line with the outer side of the wheel G, as shown by the dotted lines X X in Figs. 3 and 4, and have constructed the wheel-carriage sol-the IOO wheel will be free to oscillate to a considerable extent on the upper edge of the trackrail A orto assume an angular position, as is also shown by Figs. 3 and 4. This brings the pivot F somewhat outside of the vertical center of the wheel G and track-rail A, and the weight of the door will cause it to swing inwardly toward the wall W. This will naturally throw the upper edge of the wheel G outwardly, as shown in Fig. 3, which willbe its normal position as long as the door-is free to assume a normal position; but should the door be interfered with by inequalities of the wall or by its own inequalities coming in contact with the wall it will be free to assume the position shown in Fig. 4 or any intermediate position, in which case the pivot F will be swung outwardly and the upper edge of the wheel G will be thrown inwardly toward the wall. Of course the door will retain this position only as long as it is held there by the wall or some other interfering obstacle,and as soon as this is removed it will swing back to its normal position, as shown in Fig. 3. This always insuresa close tit of the door against the wall and at the same time permits the door to move freely outwardly to a considerable extent to escape any obstruction with which it may come in contact. When the style of hanger shown in the drawings is used, it is preferable that the track should be rigidly secured to the wall and that the frame Oshall oscillate on the track; but I do not coniine myself to this alone. Any form ot hanger and track may be used which will support the door out of line with the center of gravity laterally and which will leave it free to move laterally, whereby the door will tend to hug the side of the wall to which it is applied. To pro- Y vide for the largest amount of lateralvmovement, the opening between the lower part of the frame C and the ordinary guide-lug L should be made wider than usual, as shown in Figs.' 3 and 4. It is also advisable to put a strip of wood N on the inner side of vrthe batten O at the upper edge of the door next to the wall, so as to slide thereon, and this helps to shut out the wind and storm, and may be called a weather-strip. It will be seen that by this arrangement a close-fitting door will always be secured with enough elasticity in its hangings to let it readily accominodate itself to the inequalities of the wall, and, further, that no extra guides or rollers will be required to hold the frame C in operable position.

Fig. 5 is an improved form of the lower section or strap E, which to distinguish it from the other is lettered E. This strap E' is designed to fit any thickness of door and is appliedv only to the outer side thereof. Its upper ends are set over to the proper place to connect with the pivot F and are provided with hooked ends O to catch thereon. These ends can be left open, as shown in Fig. 5, or'

may be closed, so as to prevent the sections from coming apart. The lower ends of the strap E are made V-shaped, and perforations are made in the upper and lower ends of the V for the admission of bolts to attach the strap to the door. Strengthening-webs P are also formed thereon to give greater rigidity to the strap. The straps E and E being each made integral or rigidly joined together at their lower ends are adapted to more thoroughly brace the lower corners of the frame C, to which theyare hinged, than if they were made in two separate pieces, and to add to this solidity in the improved form E', I have added a horizontally-disposed brace Q, which connects its upper ends together, and, ifdesired, a perforation R may be made in the central portion of this brace for theadinission of a bolt to assist in holding the strap more securely to the door.

Fig. 6 is a perspective of one of the brackets used to hold the track-rail A to the wall W.

Itis made L-shaped, with its vertical portion adapted to rest against the wall and its horizontal portion to extend out to and support the track-rail. Its upper end is rounded, and the transverse edges of the rounded ends are rounded off,and itis fitted with an eye S for the reception of a screw or bolt or fora staple T, as shown in Fig. 6. The central part of both the vertical and horizontal portions of the bracket is recessed or made thinner than the ends and is fitted with perforations U for the reception of screws, while the edges are fitted with flanges V, which extend from the end containing the eye S to the end Y, which is riveted into the track-rail A, but being widest and strongest at the point where the vertical and horizontal portions are joined together. By this construction the greatest strength and lightness and consequent cheapness are secured and the bracket may be connected to the wall by the staple T or its equivalent alone, so that it may freely swing out from the wall, if desired, or it may be rigidly secured thereto by screws, as shown in Fig. l.

Fig. '7 is a vertical section on the line `'7 7 of Fig. 2 and shows the manner of securing the cheek-pieces I and .I together. These cheek-pieces after passing by the wheel G are inwardly contracted, so as to fit against each other, and the piece J is riveted to the piece I, as shown in the figure. Below the rivet which secures the pieces together their ends Z are spread apart, so as to straddle the npper edge of the track-rail A, a portion of which is also shown in the figure. The ends of the pieces I and J being inclined, as shown in Fig. 2, and being extended down and spread apart, so as to straddle the upper edge of the rail, will run under and throw obstructions off the track, as will be readily under stood, and at the same time the piece J will be securely held in place by its contact with the piece I. The straps E and E instead of being made in the shape of a U or V may be made in any other desired form, provided IOO IIO

their lower ends are joined together so as to form one rigidly-connected part, so as 'to seline of the center of gravity, whereby the lower portion of said frame is free to move toward said line of gravity or to be moved therefrom and the door will tend to move laterally toward said point of support, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a suitable track, of a door-hanger comprising two sections having a jointed or pivotal connection between them, the upper section carrying a trackwheel adapted to run upon said track, and the lower section adapted to be secured to a door; said upper section being free to assume an angular position relatively to the vertical, and the joint or pivot between the sections being located so that the center of gravity will be out of line with the point of support, whereby the door will tend to move laterally, said lateral movement being facilitated by the angular movement of the upper section.

3. The combination with a track adapted to be secured to a wall, of a door-han ger consisting of two sections having a jointed or pivotal connection between them, the upper section carrying a track-wheel and being adapted to oscillate laterally upon said track, and the lower section being adapted to be secured to a door; said joint or pivot being situated to one side of the point of support of the wheel upon the track whereby the door will tend to move laterally, said lateral movement being facilitated by the oscillation of the upper section upon the track.

4. The combination with a track adapted to be secured to a wall, of a door-hanger comprising two sections having a jointed or pivotal connection between them, the upper section carrying a track-wheel adapted to run centrally on said track and to oscillatelaterally i thereon, and the lower section being adapted to be secured to a door; said joint or pivot being located on a line with one side of said wheel, whereby the door will tend to move laterally, substantially as described.

5. A door-hanger consisting of two separate sections hinged together, the upper section carrying a track-wheel and having a rectangular-shaped loop on each of its lower corners set more or less outside of the periphery of said wheel, and the lower section being adapted to be secured to a door and having hooks or recurved ends on its upper corners adapted to hook into said loops and swing on the pivots formed thereby.

6. In door hangers a track supporting bracket being L-shaped in its general contour, and having its upper end thickened and rounded o both longitudinally and laterally and fitted with an eye, and its central portions recessed and perforated, its edges fitted with strengthening-flanges, and its lower end flattened, thickened and shouldered, substantially as described.

7. In door-hangers aframe carryinga trackwheel to run on a track-rail, and having cheekpieces to support the wheel, the ends of said cheek-pieces being contracted so as to fit together, and having lower extensions which are spread apart and adapted to straddle the track-rail, substantially as described.

Signed at Fairfield, Iowa, January 4, 1902.

WILLIAM LOUDEN.

Witnesses:

GRACE D. A'rKINsoN, A. D. LONG. 

